Time to take it to the stars for a story of outer space love, all wrapped up rather nicely in some over the top insanity and isolation as only Robert Q. Sale can do it! RQ unloads a startlingly bonkers one here, so sit back and tune in to a true terror tale of tomorrow-- and b-b-b-beyond! From the February 1954 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #24.
Well, the Heath story I originally wanted to post today didn't quite work out, (no amount of clean-up attempt in the world was gonna make that one presentable here-- sorry!) So instead, let's take a look at another sizzlin' Joe Maneely quickie from the October 1951 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #7. I kind of felt like Satan was getting a little ignored during our Atlas Festivities lately anyways...
If you're suddenly overcome with a creeping sense of deja vu, it's because yes, just last month we had another post also called "The Perfect Mate" (Atlas had a thing about re-using story titles!) But you have my word that this "perfect mate", from the August 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #12, is quite different than the last one! And as mentioned in our previous post, today's Double Header is also a double shot of Marty Elkin eeriness, two atmospheric entries from the glorious, golden era of comic book shock spookery! Now, "Once Upon a Corpse", from the June 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #11 might leave a few of you less imaginative fiends scratching your head in the end. But I like to think that 'ol Marty simply delivered one of the more original supernatural tales-- featuring a vampiric grave with an appetite all its own! Oh, did I just spoil it for you? Too bad...
We've been looking at old time stage magic over at AEET this month HERE, so how about we bring a little bit of the 'ol slight of head-- errr, HAND-- over here to THOIA as well, eh? This is a fun, Atlas quickie from the June 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #11, with Harry Lazarus and George Klein teaming up on art duties... and fyi: there's nothing up my sleeve (or inside my collar), but we might just lose our heads in the next post as well, so stay tombed for that coming up next-- I swear, it's gonna be a seriously wild weekend Double Header that you know you won't wanna miss out on!
Our awesome All Atlas August Fest continues now, and as mentioned I have quite a line-up of THOIA fan favorites coming up! If names like Russ Heath, Robert Q. Sale, Marty Elkin, etc sound exciting-- then you are definitely tombed to the right blog! And of course you can't have an Atlas Fest without some really good dick, --aka Ayers that is-- and saaaay, here he comes now, creepy crawlin' atcha from the joltin' June 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #11.
I promised you more Bernie Krigstein, and here he comes like a terrifyin' tidal wave of weirdness, via the August 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #12. Okay, the coloring here might be a bit off and washed out (I did my best to clean it up), but it's really such a wild and wonderfully written tale with a super clever and very funny double twist ending-- I believe it to be one of the very best Atlas crime horror posts on this blog now! So sit back and relax, kick up your heels and pour yourself a lil drinky for 'ol Kriggy, as All Atlas Month continues to pull you in, and drag you under...
With barely a dozen Bernie Krigstein stories nestled in the THOIA Archive, I feel like I've stumbled upon yet another back-stabbing travesty of epic proportions around here! I guess what I'm trying to say is: how can you have an All Atlas Fest August without some kooky spooky Krigstein?! His unique vision and expert sense of intense story telling really cuts to the bone-- so here we go, a whole new month of posts, and we're revvin' it right off the starting block with a couple of killer Krigstein klassiks! Wait, did I say a couple? Yep, stay tombed for him in our next post as well. But for now, enjoy this atmospherically wicked little walk in the park, from the June 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #11.
Looking back at our awesome Atlas Fest earlier this month, I suddenly realized I made an inexcusable, and rather monumental mistake: How on Earth can we have an Atlas Fest without featuring my all-time favorite artist ever-- Bill Everett??!! Okay. Fixing that la boo-boo now with a real screamer from the June 1952 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #11 (Everett also created that incredible cover design too!) And because of my awful, absent-mindedness, I've suddenly decided that we'll continue on this journey into even more unknown worlds by extending / reviving July's Atlas Fest --granted, if I can find enough worthy material-- for the entire month of August! Sound good? Oh, who am I kidding? Like I won't be able to find enough worthy material! It's Atlas after all... see ya's shortly in August for lots rots more!
Rollin' out with THOIA's March Madness 2023 Edition, and like our last hilariously macabre post, this terrific Atlas tale also comes from the March 1953 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #16. I have a lot of gruesome great stuff lined up all this month, so stayed supernaturally tombed in for all the precode horror (and beyond) that you can handle! 'Nuff said!
Did you guys honestly think I'd end the month of February with a story about the Devil playing fair for once?! (See previous post, "The Devil and the War Bride.") Umm, think again, darlings! Instead, let's smell the magic and go out in style with a wonderfully epic, 4-page tale by awesome Al Luster about the world's greatest trickster truly doing his part to bring all you lovers together-- even if it kills ya! From the March 1953 issue of Journey into Unknown Worlds #16.
